I'm a geochemist. In the past ten years I've fixed mass spectrometers, blasted sapphires with a laser beam, explored for uranium in a nature reserve, and measured growth patterns in fish ears, and helped design the next generation of the world's most advanced ion probe. My main interest is in-situ mass spectrometry, but I have a soft spot in my heart for thermodynamics, drillers, and cosmochemistry.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

I dislike summer heat and humidity. The still, sultry air acts like a suffocating blanket, and every lackadaisical exercise session and extra helping of dessert comes back to haunt me in the form of insulating fat cells. If only I'd run ten miles a day and eaten nothing but celery all spring. Oh well, what can one do, but drink water. And pee.

I was actually wondering this evening, if I drink cold water, and pee body-temperature urine, how often would I have to go, in order to lose all my excess heat to the john, thus avoiding the need to sweat?

It's too damn hot to figure it out properly, but assuming a 30 degree difference between intake and output, and assuming 300 kilocalorie/hour of heat production, I'd need to pee 10 liters an hour. At 1/2 a liter per visit, that would be a trip to the lavatory every 3 minutes. I think I'll just sit here and perspire.

Disclaimer:

All opinions, measurements, figures, and facts on this page are the personal opinions of Charles W. Magee, Jr, and do not represent the views of any of his employers: past, present, present-but-about-to-be-past, or future. None of the content herein has been subject to peer review, and should be treated with caution or derision. Any passing mention of OSHA code violations, criminal activities, unethical or unscientific behavior, or the clandestine Australian nuclear weapons program are fictions created to make rhetorical points, and do not represent the reality of my, or anyone else's, workplace. Do not attempt any scientific protocols described herein at home, with the exception of the chocolate chip cookie recipe. Do not apply the products of that protocol to individuals with heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, egg, wheat, dairy, or chocolate allergies. Do not view this blog continuously for more than 45 minutes without stretching and taking other precautions to prevent computer-related chronic injury.
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